Washing-machine.



PATBNTED APR. 5, 1904.

W. lC. FA'WKBS.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV.17, 1903.

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No. 756,224. PATENTBD APR. 5, 1904.- W. G. PAWKBS.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov.17, 190s.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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top, as will hereinafter appear.

UNITED i STATES -WILBERT C. FAWKES, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

lPatented'. April 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of l Letters Patent' No. 756,224, dated April5, 1904.

' Applicatioifled November 1'7, 1903. Serial No. 181,472. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

,greatly increasing the eliiciency of the machine.

A further object is to'provide an easy-running machine and one in whichthere will be no danger of the' clothes becoming wound on any movingpart during the operation of washing.

A further object is to provide a washingmachine of simple but strong anddurable construction which when not in use for Washing purposes can beutilized as a table.

from the following detailed description.

l The invention consists generally -in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims. In theY accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a washing-machineembodying g Fig. 2 is a section on the line w of Fig. 1 looking atA theAbottom of the my invention.

machine and showing the tub in its normal position. Fig. 3 1s a similarView showing one direction.

-5 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 6 and 7 are details Vof thedrop-handles that are provided near the topl of the tub.

In the drawings, 2 represents a washingmachinetub of the ordinaryconstructiomhavifng the usual corrugations 3 on its inner surace.

4 is a cover fitting snugly into theopen top of the tub and adapted whenthe machine is not in use for washing purposes to serve as a table- Ahollow standard is centrally mounted within said tub, within which isashaft 6, that extends down through the bottom of the tub into a hollowstud 7, that depends from a casting 8, that 'is mounted upon legs 9,which serve to support the machine. A socket in the standard 7 ispreferably provided with a suitable lubricant into which the lower endof the shaft 6 is inserted, and a set-screw 1() is provided in said studand arranged to enter an annular groove 11 in said shaft and lock theupper and lower portionsof the machine together. The upper end of theshaft projects through and above the upper end of the standard 5 and isthere pinned to a sleeve 12, that incloses the upper portion of thestandard and rests thereon and is provided with vertical wings orflanges 13. When this sleeve has been securedv to the upper end of theshaft and the lower end of the shaft has been fastened within thestandard 7, the tub will be securely locked upon the legs and accidentalsepara- 1 tion thereof prevented. Other objects of the invention willappear Upon the sleeve 12 I provide arubber head 1 or device, preferablyin the form of an inverted cone and consisting of a casting 14, looselymounted on the sleeve 12 and having y slots to receive the flanges' 13,and prevented 1 thereby from rotating, but :permitted Vto slidevertically and automatically yield to the position of the clothes.Thiscasting is provided with a series of perforations `15, andon itsunder side I arrange a series of bars A16, that are upwardly inclinedfrom their inner toward their outer ends and radiate from the center lof said casting, being suitably secured-thereto the tub swung to thelimit of its movement in Fig. 4 is a view looking at the l under side ofthe rubber head or'disk. Fig.v

plate 17 over said bars between their outer.

'ends andsaid casting to form a close floor to 'prevent the water andsmall articles `of clothing from passing up between the bars, the upwardinclination of said bars servingto direct the water and clothes to 'theperiphery of the rubber-head, where they will be engaged by the movingwalls of the tub. The water will be forced to iiow up over the outeredge of the rubber-head and down upon the casting and from thencethrough the perforations therein IOO to the bottom of the tub, spacesbeing provided between the inner ends of the bars 16 to allow the escapeof the water that has collected above the rubber-head. This constructionof the rubber head or disk will cause currents of water to beestablished within the tub, flowing from the bottom up along the underside of the rubber-head to its periphery, thence down over the plate 17and through the perforations in the central casting and back to thebottom of the tub. rIhe conical form of the rubber-head will cause theclothes to move from the center toward the periphery of thev tub, wherethey will be engaged between the oppositely-moving surfaces of the tuband head, the water forced through the fabric, and the dirt eifectuallyremoved.

A suitable draw-off plug 18 is provided in the bottom of the tub, andnear the top thereof I provide handles for convenience in imparting areciprocating rotary movement of the tub. The handles are arrangedasuitable distance apart to be conveniently grasped by the operator, andeach handle consistsl of a grip part 19, mounted on a bracket 20, thatis pivoted on a plate 21 by means of a bolt 22 and a thumb-nut 23. Thebracket 2O is provided with a rib 24, adapted to enter a groove 25 inthe plate 21 when the handle is swung around to its raised positionabove the level of the top of the tub. When so raised, the handle is inposition to be grasped by the operator, and the thumb-screw is tightenedto lock the handle and prevent Lit from being accidentally moved out ofplace. When the machine is not in use for washing purposes, thethumbscrew may be loosened and the handle swung down to the positionindicated by full lines in Figs. 6 and 7, where it will be below thelevel of the tub and will not interfere in any Way with the use of thetop as a table. I also prefer to providehandles 26 on the side of thetub, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, by means of which the tub may belifted from place to place. s

Secured upon the bottom of the tub is a casting 27, through which thestandard 5 and the shaft6 pass. Upon the shaft 6 below the casting 27 Iprovideapinion 28, between which and the casting is a ball-bearingconsisting of a plate 29, balls 30, and a cup 31, having a runway withinwhich the balls are arranged, said cup bearing upon the under side ofthe casting 27, while the .plate 29 rest upon said pinion. rl`hisball-bearing between the tub and the base of the machine insures an easyoperation of the tub to and lfro during the operation of washing. Aquadrant 32 is provided on one side of the pinion 28, having teeth inengagement with the teeth of said pinion and secured to the casting 8 bymeans of a pivot-pin 33. An arm 34 is provided on the quadrant 32,having a longitudinal slot 35, adapted to receive a pin 36, that ismounted in the casting 27 and provided with antifriction-rollers 37. Thepinion 28 being secured on the shaft 6 and the sleeve 12, carrying therubber-head, being also secured on said shaft and the quadrant inengagement with said pinion being pivoted on the base of the machine andhaving sliding connection with the tub` it is evident that when the tubis oscillated in one direction that the rubberhead will be moved acorresponding distance in the other direction, and the clothes betweenthem will be subjected to a thorough rubbing and cleansing.

I prefer to p'rovide a coil-spring 38, connected at one end to the tuband at its other end to the casting 8, and said spring is put` undertension by the oscillation of the tub in either direction and serves toovercome the inertia of the tub when it has been moved to the limit ofits oscillation in one direction and begins its return stroke. To lockthe tub against oscillation when not in use as a .washing-machine, Iprovide a bar 39, suitably supported in guides 40 and fil and adapted tomove into the path of lugs 42 on Vthe casting 8, thereby locking the tubagainst rotation.

The operation of my improved washing-machine is as follows: The waterand clothes having been placed in the tub the operator will grasp thehandles and oscillate the t'ub to and fro. Asthe tub moves in onedirection the mechanism connecting the rubber-head with the tub willcause said head to move in the opposite direction, so that the peripheryof the head and the corrugated walls of the tub will cooperate and actupon the clothes to remove the dirt. The rubber-head will adjust itselfautomatically by gravity upon its supporting-sleeve, rising and fallingaccordingly as the position of water and clothes change in the tub. Itsoutwardly-inclined walls will cause the clothes to be directed towardthe walls of the tub, and its vertical movement will cause a squeezingaction on the clothes that will facilitate the washing operation. Thecoil-spring 38 will regulate the distance the tub oscillates to and frofrom a given point, and as the spring is put under tension and itsresistance to the movement of the tub increases the leverage of the pin36 on the quadrant will be increased. When, therefore, the operator setsthe tub in motion, the resistance to its movement will increase towardthe limit of its stroke in each direction; but I am able to counteractin a measure this increased resistance by providing means for increasingthe leverage on the pivoted quadrant.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a washing-machine, the combination, withan oscillating tub and a rubber-head provided therein and arranged tooscillate in a direction opposite to the movement of said tub and toslide vertically on its support and adjust IOO IIO

itself to the position of the clothes` said rubberhead being in theform' of an inverted cone with its outer edge near the wall of said tuband comprising a centrally-arranged member provided with a series ofholes, and bars secured intermediate to their ends at intervals on saidmember and radiating outwardly and upwardly therefrom, and means forclosing the openings between said bars.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a rotating reciprocatingtub, of a rubberhead provided therein and having a -correspondingmovement in the opposite direction, said rubber-head being in the formof an in- Verted cone, with its outer edge near the wall of said tub andcomprising a centrally-arranged casting having' a series ofperforations, a series of bars radiating outwardly from said casting andan imperforate plate connecting said bars and extending from saidcasting to the outer edge of said head.

3. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a rotating reciprocatingtub provided with a hollow centrally-arranged standard, a shaft arrangedwithin said standard, a sleeve secured to the upper end of said shaftand inclosing said standard, and having longitudinal guiding-flanges, arubber-head having slots to receive said flanges and adapted to slidevertically on said sleeve and rotate therewith, means supporting thelower end of said shaft and a mechanism interposed between said 4shaftand tub whereby when said tub is moved in one direction said shaft andrubber-head will be moved a corresponding distance in the otherdirection.

4;. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a tub having a rotaryreciprocating movement, of a shaft centrally arranged therein, arubber-head connected with said shaft, a pinion secured on said c shaftbelow said tub, a

.quadrant pivoted independently of said tub near said pinion and havingits teeth in engagement therewith, an arm provided on said quadrant andhaving a longitudinal slot and a pin provided on the under side of saidtub and adapted to enter said slot, for the purpose specified.

5. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a rotating reciprocatingtub, of a shaft centrally arranged therein and projecting below thesame, a casting having suitable legs wherein said shaft is supported, arubber-head provided within said tub and connected with said shaft, apinion secured on said shaft below said tub, a quadrant having its teethinA engagement with said pinion and pivoted on said casting, andprovided with a slotted arm located within the circumference of the tuband a pin provided on the under side of said tub and adapted to entersaid slot.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day ofNovember, A.'D. 1903.

VILBERT C. FAWKES.

In presence of- RICHARD PAUL, M. HAGERTY.

